New Minnesota Wild NHL hockey players Ryan Suter, left, and Zach Parise were introduced during a news conference Monday, July 9, 2012, in St. Paul. The two signed 13-year contracts with the Wild for $98 million. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Zach Parise, who became a hometown hero by signing a $98 million, 13-year free-agent contract with the Minnesota Wild rather than go elsewhere, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Minnesota Twins--Oakland A's game Sunday afternoon, July 15, at Target Field.

The former New Jersey Devils captain, who turns 28 on July 28, likely will receive an overwhelming standing ovation.

Catching Parise's first pitch, if he's not in the bullpen warming up the Twins' starting pitcher, will be Joe Mauer, 29, who became a hometown hero when he signed a $184 million, eight-year contract rather than become a free agent two years ago.

Tom Ward coached Parise for three seasons (ages 15-17) at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minn. He's overwhelmed with excitement about Parise's signing with the Wild.

"I'm telling you what, he'll be a boon for Minnesota hockey and Minnesota youth hockey," Ward said. "The little kids in Minnesota have a great role model. He's a great ambassador for the game and our school. The state hasn't had a kid around like that since (Roseau native) Neal Broten was with the North Stars.

"And he's the same kid now that he was back then. He's a hard-working, humble player who was that way all the way coming up. He's a real driven, hungry kid who hates to lose; I love that quality about him. He'll do everything in his power to win.

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"If you haven't seen him on a day-to-day basis, he's got great competitive spirit that people will appreciate. And he's got his dad's competitive fire. If there's one thing that his old man (former North Star J.P. Parise) gave him, it's his competitiveness. That little bugger plays his butt off every single time he's on the ice. He's got a lot of his old man in him that way, for sure."

Ward is director of hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's. Martin Brodeur, the New Jersey Devils' future hall of fame goaltender, has a goalie son, Anthony, who will be a senior at SSM this fall and two other twin sons, Jeremy (goalie) and Willliam (forward), both of whom will be sophomores at the Faribault prep school.

This will be Anthony Brodeur's fifth year at SSM, and Ward feels that with a productive season, he could be picked in next June's NHL draft.

Jamie Langenbrunner of the St. Louis Blues has a daughter who'll play hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's this year.

Pitcher Liam Hendricks is 7-0 with a 1.79 earned-run average at Triple-A Rochester this season and 0-5 (7.04) with the Twins.

The Vikings are in the process of interviewing various law firms -- locally and nationally -- to represent the team in its stadium building project.

Among those thrilled with Camilo Pascual's induction into the Twins Hall of Fame on Saturday at Target Field was Julio Becquer. It was 61 years ago, in 1951, that a young first baseman, Becquer, and a young pitcher, Pascual, were roommates in Geneva, N.Y., on a low-level minor league team owned by the Washington Senators.

Both had been signed out of Cuba by Senators scout Joe Cambria, who also signed former Twins greats Tony Oliva and Zoilo Versalles.

"I think we had two Americans on the team -- all the rest were Cubans," Becquer said. "It was a lot of fun, but the league didn't last long."

Becquer, now 80, and Pascual, 78, later were teammates with Washington and again after the Senators relocated to Minnesota. Until Friday evening at Target Field, they hadn't seen each other for several years.

"I don't get to see him much because Camilo spends a lot of time in Venezuela as one of the biggest scouts for the Dodgers," Becquer said Saturday. "But I keep in contact."

Becquer resides in Golden Valley and is retired after years of managing the men's clothing department at the former Dayton's. Pascual lives in Miami and still scouts for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

They faced each other one winter in the now-defunct Florida International League, when Becquer tried to hit Pascual's famous curveball.

"It wasn't fun," Becquer said. "I saw a lot of pitches, but none like that curveball."

Later, as a Twins fan, Becquer saw another great curveball.

"Bert Blyleven's curveball," he said. "Between Camilo and Blyleven, their curveballs were the best I've seen."

With the Twins, Becquer roomed with Earl Battey, then Lenny Green. Pascual roomed with PedroRamos.

Saturday's memorial service for beloved former football Gopher John Williams, who died at age 66 last week, lasted more than three hours at the Speak The Word Church International in Golden Valley and was well-represented by the Gophers family, including football coach Jerry Kill and wife Rebecca and new athletics director Norwood Teague.

Former Gophers Bob Stein and Leon Trawick gave moving reflections of teammate Williams, an offensive lineman who went on to play for the Los Angeles Rams before practicing dentistry in North Minneapolis. Others in attendance included former Gopher Judge Dickson, Gov. Mark Dayton and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.

The Yankees are baseball's best team, according to power rankings by CBSsports.com. The Twins rank No. 24 of 30.

Ex-Twin Jim Thome, the future hall of famer who turns 42 on Aug. 27 and hit .242 in 30 games for the Philadelphia Phillies before his recent trade to Baltimore, is hitting .200 in seven games for the Orioles, who open a four-game series at Target Field on Monday.

Former Twin Kevin Slowey, 28, pitching for $2.75 million this season, is 3-3 with a 5.14 ERA for the Cleveland Indians' Triple-A Columbus Clippers, having allowed 52 hits in 49 innings.

Deephaven's Tim Herron, taking a breather from the PGA Tour, shot a 7-under-par 65 Friday at Wayzata Country Club that included a two-stroke penalty for pushing his drive out of bounds on the par-4 16th while testing a new club.

Herron, who has nearly $18 million in career earnings and was one of the first players on tour to use the modified "claw" putting technique, has gone back to a conventional style with an oversize grip. He plays next in the Canadian Open on July 26 in Ancaster, Ontario.

Ex-Gophers tight end Ben Utecht, 31, of Hastings is still in arbitration over concussion issues that led to his retirement from football after six seasons in the NFL.

Former Gophers coach Glen Mason is returning as a Big Ten Network football analyst.

The Minnesota Lynx (15-4) have had attendance of more than 9,000 at five of their 10 games this season at Target Center.

Ex-Twins infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka hit safely in seven straight games at Triple-A Rochester, going 9 or 28 (.321) while increasing his season average to .231. Nishioka, playing for $3 million this season, was ejected from Friday night's game against Toledo for arguing a called third strike.

Infielder Jamey Carroll is the Twins' representative for the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association "Heart and Hustle" award consideration this year. Ex-Twin Michael Cuddyer is the Colorado Rockies' nominee.

Kirk Triplett, who last weekend won the First Tee Open Champions Tour tournament at Pebble Beach, will be at Wayzata Country Club on Monday for Mike Givens' Wendy's adoption golf tournament fundraiser.

Local orthopedistBrian Nelson, a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot ace who served in Vietnam, scored his first golf ace on the 157-yard 15th hole at Southview Country Club, using a 6-iron.

Count Pat Boemer, who owns popular Patrick McGovern's Pub near the Xcel Energy Center, among those elated with the Wild's signings of Parise and Suter.

"I talk to a lot of people in the area as well as many season-ticket holders that have given up their tickets, and now they're coming back," Boemer said. "I get a lot of feedback from the fans, and the last few years they were frustrated, to say the least. Most of the games last year weren't sellout, but we'll see sellouts now."

Boemer said his pub business is "always good," but with the Parise-Suter signings and subsequent renewed hockey interest in the Wild, business will be "that much better."

Happy birthday: Bill Kidd Jr., the esteemed former Interlachen Country Club professional, turns 85 next month.

Homer Martinson, 87, received repeated standing ovations when the former Wayzata CC pro was honored Friday evening with a plaque that will permanently reside at the club's practice range.

Among Homerisms: "It's not the equipment. Go practice."

Former Duluth East basketball star Johnny Woodard is headed to national junior college champion South Plains in Levelland, Texas.

Mike Powicki, who was an assistant athletics director at Minnesota State Mankato, has been named AD at Wayne State (Neb.).

That was Shoreview's Stephen Michael broadcasting powerboat races recently in Kazan, Tatarstan, east of Moscow.

The University of St. Thomas football team is No. 4-ranked nationally in preseason Division III by "Lindy's Sports" magazine. St. John's is No. 14, Bethel No. 15.

Those were longtime umpires Billy Hafner and John Jundt working the Twins' recent tryout camp at the Metrodome.

Terry Kunze, 69, who led Duluth Central to an undefeated (27-0) one-class state basketball championship in 1961 before starting at guard for the Gophers, is in the insurance business in Brooklyn Center.

Steve Schmid, 67, a former Twins minor league catcher and University of St. Thomas baseball coach, is doing well in the flooring business in the Twin Cities.

Among the impressive players in the Howard Pulley pro-am summer basketball league is 1996 Mr. Basketball Minnesota and former Gophers guard Mitch Ohnstad of Faribault. Ohnstad, 35, who weighs 170 pounds -- the same as he did while with the Gophers -- operates the "Wear Out The Net" basketball academy in Lakeville.

Ex-Vikings wide receiver Nate Burleson of the Detroit Lions will get a guest-host audition on NFL Radio next season.

Kid to watch: Visitation seventh-grader Anni Heck shot rounds of 76-82 in the all-class girls state golf tournament at the Ridges, then 75-82 in the state junior girls championship at Oak Marsh.

New Gophers athletics director Norwood Teague will be the featured speaker for the Carlson School of Management's 1st Tuesday Speaker Series on Aug. 7 at the McNamara Alumni Center.

Bill Wold, the longtime former athletics director at Hill-Murray, retired June 30 as superintendent of schools in Litchfield, Minn. Wold continues as a part-time professor at Capella University.

Andy Nett of Winona, Minn., and doubles partner Luis Morena of Tucson, Ariz., were the only American victors in the national four-ball open handball championships in Fountain Valley, Calif.

Minnesota-Duluth had the most recruits (seven) among baseball players at the recent Minnesota high school all-star game in Chaska. The Gophers and St. Thomas had six apiece. Three former all-stars -- Joe Mauer, Glen Perkins and Cole De Vries -- are with the Twins.

Major League Baseball is selling DVDs of ex-Twin Johan Santana's June 1 no-hit victory for the New York Mets over St. Louis for $12.95.

Baseball coach Matt Magers and softball coach Lori Meyer have each received four-year contract extensions at Minnesota State Mankato.

The White Bear Yacht Club celebrated its centennial year of golf Saturday.

Ex-Twins Rod Carew, Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield and Bert Blyleven are among 43 hall of famers of the 65 still living who plan to attend the July 22 induction ceremony of Barry Larkin and Ron Santo in Cooperstown, N.Y.

On July 21, Blyleven and fellow hall of famer Phil Niekro will participate in a baseball-themed game show called "Pitch Count" at Doubleday Field that will be aired on the MLB Network.

DON'T PRINT THAT

Although the $10 million signing bonuses due Zach Parise and Ryan Suter within 45 days of their July 4 contract agreements are guaranteed regardless of a NHL lockout, a work stoppage would cost the Wild nearly $1 million a game in gross revenues.

By the way, it would be surprising if Wild investors aren't called on to help pay for the bonuses.

If new Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy's knees fail him next season, the Wolves will have to pay only the first year of his $10.5 million, two-year contract.

Among reasons Nicolas Batum expressed eagerness to play for the Wolves is coach Rick Adelman and that the Portland Trail Blazers don't even have a permanent coach yet.

Now it looks like August for an announcement if baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is going to award the Twins the 2014 All-Star Game.

It would be hard to part with Francisco Liriano, considering that at the beginning of the season, the only starter in the Twins' rotation signed for next season was Nick Blackburn.

Anaheim Ducks winger Bobby Ryan is rumored to be available and would look mighty good in a Wild uniform, but his $5.5 million guaranteed for the next three seasons probably takes Minnesota out of consideration -- unless the Wild could trade one of its higher-paid players.

Apple Valley point guard protege Tyus Jones, back from the USA Under-17 world championship team, will play for the Howard Pulley Panthers in the Peach Jam tournament that begins Wednesday in Augusta, Ga.

Speculation remains that Michigan State and Duke will be leading contenders for Jones' college services, but that could be for just one year anyway if he opts for the NBA draft.

Incoming Gophers freshman Charles Buggs has been impressive in the Howard Pulley summer pro-am league, but not Minnesota's other incoming freshman, Wally Ellenson. Buggs, though, clearly needs to get stronger to have impact as a freshman.

The Ryan Suter--Zach Parise signings already have generated product endorsement conversations for the pair, who are considered extremely marketable for their wholesomeness.

The Wild might have the smartest front office in hockey -- general manager Chuck Fletcher is a Harvard grad and assistant Brent Flahr is a Princeton grad.

OVERHEARD

TBS analyst Dennis Eckersley on ex-Twin David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox: "He might be the greatest DH ever."